Union Budget 2022: 'Making India future-ready', Piyush Goyal lauds 'visionary' budget

Following the government’s successful budget presentation, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Saturday termed the Union Budget 2022-23 as a direction-setting budget. The minister said that the budget addressed both macro-economic and micro-economic concerns and was aimed at an inclusive development system. Goyal also lauded the government’s approach to the same and highlighted the success of projects and plans like Digital India and PM Gati Shakti National Plan.

Piyush Goyal was speaking at a public function to explain the nuances of the Union Budget in Mumbai when he said that the budget was a show of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to development. Speaking about the budget, he said, “the budget should be seen as an exercise in continuity to make India future-ready”. Recalling PM Modi’s vision of converting crisis into opportunity, Goyal said that the government has been pro-actively announcing new projects and schemes through the years.  

The minister said that the Union Budget attempted at setting the way ahead for the next 25 years. Goyal reiterated that the budget laid a big thrust on infrastructure development. He highlighted the importance of the PM Gati Shakti National Plan and said that the government will be using data and inter-connected national maps to perfectly place the future infrastructure projects.

Piyush Goyal lauds India's vision 

Furthermore, Goyal also lauded the country’s efforts in adopting the COVID-19 pandemic and swiftly moving to the remote working model. He said that India did not let down a single international obligation and thanked Digital India for the same. The minister said that the country’s services export remained robust on track to achieve USD 240 billion targets, despite the pandemic.

Explaining the importance of working on R&D and innovation hub, Goyal said that India produces the second-highest number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) graduates. He said that this was encouraging to become the start-up capital that the country can turn to be. He reiterated that the government has a vision mapping for years to come.

Meanwhile, the Commerce and Industry Minister also added that India has been working on a number of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). “FTAs with the UK, Canada are also in the pipeline, even as GCC also wants to sign an FTA with India. The world wants to work with us, we have to seize the initiative” the Minister added. Goyal also spoke about the enhanced capital spending of Rs 10.5 lakh crores provided by Budget 2022-23 and claimed it has a multiplier effect causing enhanced demand and increased job opportunities in the country.

(With ANI inputs)

Image: ANI/ PTI